Dine Around Seattle Celebrates 17 Years

Seattle’s three-course dining tradition delivers a 17-year legacy of community support

Dine Around Seattle sprung up 17 years ago when a group of local restaurateurs banded together with a vision to launch a community dining event that would inspire local foodies to explore the regional flavors of the Northwest served by some of the city’s most celebrated chefs from Seattle’s best restaurants.

What the early founders did not know then was they were on to something big. Their collaboration created a deep-rooted bond with the restaurant and dining community and established what has become the longest running three-course prix fixe event in the Puget Sound.

The effort was spearheaded by Richard Malia, owner of Ponti’s Seafood Grill, after one of his managers brought the concept home to Seattle from a visit to New York City in 2000. New York City had been hosting a twice-yearly “Restaurant Week” consisting of three-course meals since 1992. The concept was appealing because of its win-win nature.

Malia saw the value in the idea for Seattle restaurateurs and when he introduced it to Karl Bruno, then Food & Beverage Director at the W Seattle; Mo Shaw, then General Manager at Ray’s Boathouse; and Christine Keff, former chef/owner of Flying Fish, it was met with optimism. He then presented it to Frank Blethen and Mike Lemke at The Seattle Times and to Jamie Peha, then at the Washington Wine Commission. Allan Aquila, formerly of Yarrow Bay Grill and Beach Café at the Point, joined with the group, and W Seattle’s Bruno donated their publicist Lissa Gruman’s time to the project.

The group selected March and November for the twice-yearly dining event as these were notably slow months for the restaurants. They scrambled to get enough restaurants to agree to it and eventually assembled 25 restaurants launching as “25 for $25” in March 2001. It was off to a successful start. Foodies loved it because they could easily sample new cuisines with groups of friends, and the restaurants loved the marketing power of the collective event. It was mutually beneficial, which created something the Seattle community has come to cherish.

“25 for $25” Event Chefs

The economic success was proven when American Express conducted a survey in the first three to four years of the event which showed increased sales in the two months of the promotion, March and November, over previous years for the restaurants involved.

In 2007, the group added five more restaurants, increased the price of the three-course meal to $30, and changed the moniker from “25 for $25” to “Dine Around Seattle”.

Since 2012, Dine Around Seattle has been a program of Seattle Good Business Network, a non-profit group that encourages people to buy, produce, and invest locally. With initial support from Emily Taibl – long-time Dine Around program coordinator – and the tireless enthusiasm and creativity of Marty Griswold, Seattle Good Business Network continued to build upon the local ideals and collective spirit of its origins and has expanded the economic and community reach of the event.

Marty Griswold

In the Fall of 2017 Dine Around Seattle and Seattle Restaurant Week, two biannual celebrations of Seattle-area cuisine, are unified into one premier promotion dining experience flying under the Seattle Restaurant Week banner. Additionally, in January 2018, the first seasonal showcase event was introdcued, showcasing local shellfish! Bringing together Seattle Restaurant Week and Dine Around Seattle provides not only the best regional prix fixe dining event for our local foodies and acclaimed chefs, but also introdcues a creative line-up of seasonal events showcasing what’s fresh and local throughout the year!

In presenting Seatle Restaurant Week and Seasonal Showcase events, Seattle Good Business Network is helping to build real prosperity for local, independent restaurants, farms, and food artisans. The event focuses on restaurants that make a strong effort to source their ingredients locally, which further adds to the collective boost for Seattle’s local economy by supporting regional farms, ranches, distilleries, and independent food artisans.

2007:Event expands to 30 restaurants and changes moniker to Dine Around Seattle

2011:Seattle Good Business Network brings Dine Around Seattle into its programming

2012:
Dine Around Seattle becomes a non-profit entity, operating with Seattle Good Business Network

2016:
As Dine Around Seattle celebrates 16 years we move to a format that we feel better serves restaurants and diners offering $22, $33 or $44 meal options. Rather than being limited an “appetizer, entree, dessert” format, restaurants offerthree items as part of your fixed price menu, including drinks. For example, a menu offering might be a cocktail and two small plates for $22. Or a glass of wine, appetizer, and entrée for $33.

2017:In the Fall of 2017 Dine Around Seattle and Seattle Restaurant Week, two biannual celebrations of Seattle-area cuisine, unified into one premier promotion dining experience flying under the Seattle Restaurant Week banner.

2018:
Shellfish Showcase, our first seasonal showcase event, was launched featuring dishes that are fresh and local to the Pacific Northwest!